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(No Model.)

' P. A. WHEELER.

TRUSS.

Patented July 10, 1894.

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ATENT "Carton,

FRED A. WHEELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KAUD SANITARIUM, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,952, dated July 10,1894.

Application filed May 9,1893. Serial No. 473.522- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

I 3e it known that I, FRED A. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptlon, reference being had to the accompany- Eng drawings, forminga part of this specificaion.

My invention relates to appliances which are employed in the treatment of abdominal hernia, rupture, and similar diseases, and among the primary objects of my invention is lncluded that of producing a truss the pad of which shall be so connected to the body-band as to be capable of ready adjustment both longitudinally and laterally at various angles relative to the body-band; the principal pivotal connection being located within the body of the pad, and the devices as a whole being simple and very compact.

To the above purposes, as also to such others as may appear from the ensuing description,

ing my invention.

my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

The more precise nature of my invention will be better understood when described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aplan view of a truss embody- Fig. 2 is a transverse vertlcal section of the truss, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; the direction of view being thatindicated by the arrows applied to the section-line. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the truss-pad and also a transverse vertical sectlon of the stem and sleeve of the truss; the plane of this section being at right angles to the plane of the section of Fig. 2.

In the said drawings, A designates the bodyband of the truss, this band being either of suitable resilient wire, or of any other material which possesses sufficient resilience and strength for the purposes to which the belt is applied; such belt being intended to encircle the users hips in the usual manner, so as to properly support the pad in its required positions.

B designates the body of the pad, this pad being of. approximately ovoid form marginally and convex at its inner side, and the front of the pad being provided with a flat face-plate C shown as secured to the pad by being provided with a number of internally screw-threaded openings (1' into certain of which are inserted two attaching-screw d; these screws extending also through the faceplate 0.,

The described arrangement is such that by withdrawing the screws 0 from the holes in which they are and moving the pad upwardly or downwardly longitudinally upon the pivotarm D, and then inserting the screws into the corresponding upper or lower holes, the pad may be secured higher up or lower down upon the pivot-arm and in this way be brought into more accurate relation vertically with that part of the users person which is affected by the rupture.

The upper part of the face-plate C is formed with a vertically elongated opening 0' through which the upper endportion of the pivot-arm D is exposed, but not protruded; this opening 0' also permitting of the pivotal inward and outward movement of the pad, presently to be described, without contact of the faceplate with the pivot-sleeve of the truss. To the upper end of the pivot-arm D is connected the inner end of a pivot-pin E, a pivot 6 extending transversely through the upper end of the arm D and similarly through the inner end of the stem E for this purpose. be thus seen that the pad is permitted to swing bodily inward and outward toward and away from the users abdomen, so as to further facilitate the accurate adjustment of the pad relative to the part aifected; this swing- It will ing movement occurring about the pivot e as a center.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the pad just described, an adjusting-screw e is provided which extends inward longitudinally through the pin E and the inner end of which impinges against the outer side of the pivot-arm D at a point below its pivot e; the screw 6 working through a threaded opening in the stem E. Thus by turning the adjusting-screw e in one direction, it will be moved longitudinally inward and will tilt the arm D and the pad B with it correspondingly in ward, and by turning the adjusting-screw e in the opposite direction, said screw will be drawn outwardly and the pad will correspondingly move outwardly. This arrangement enables also a greater or less amount of pressure to be applied to the part alfected, as may be deemed desirable.

The pin E is externally perfectly plain or smooth and is surrounded by a pivot-sleeve F within which the pin E fits sufficiently loose to permit the pad to be moved sidewise in either direction; the sleeve being also per fectly plain or smooth internally and the pin E moving axially within the sleeve F and the pad being thus further broughtinto more accurate relation with the part aifected. A setscrew f passes laterally through the sleeve F and its inner end impinges against the side of the pin E, and by turning this screw so as to tighten it, all possibility of accidental shifting of the pad upon its pivot E, F, is avoided.

The purpose of making the external surface of the pivot-pin E and the internal surface of the pivot-sleeve F plain or smooth, as

above described, is to enable the pin to be turned within the sleeve without altering the longitudinal position of the two; the pad being thus retained, when desired, at its original distance from the body-band, and no increase or diminution of pressure upon the rupture being produced when the pin is turned axially in its sleeve.

A flat cap-piece G is secured to the lower end or side of the sleeve F, as for example, by screws g, and in its inner side this cap is formed with a transverse recess 9 through which the contiguous part of the belt A passes; such portion of said belt being desirably flattened, or provision of any suitable nature being made to prevent the sleeve from turning upon the belt.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have produced a truss the pad of which is so attached to the belt as to permit of a great range of movements in a variety of planes, and which is compact in construction and capable of ready adjustment as desired; the pad being thus adapted to be brought into accurately proper position relative to the part affected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A truss comprising a pad, an externally plain pivot-pin connected pivotally to said pad, and an internally plain pivot-sleeve surrounding the pivot-pin and formed for direct attachment .to a body-band, substantially as set forth.

2. A truss comprising a pad, an externally plain pivot-pin pivotally connected at one end to said pad, and an internally plain pivotsleeveisurrounding the opposite end-portion of said pivot-pin and formed for direct attachment to a body-belt; the axis of the PlVOlZ'BIH extending at right angles to the axis of the pivotal attachment of said pin to the pad, substantially as set forth.

3. A truss comprising a hollow pad, a pivotarm located wholly within said pad and connected thereto, a pivot-pin connected pivotally at one end to one end of said arm, and a pivot-sleeve surrounding the opposite endportion of said pivot-pin and formed for d1- rect attachment to a body-belt, substantially as set forth.

4. A truss comprising a pad, a pivot-arm lo cated wholly within said pad and adjustable therein in a direction longitudinally thereof, a pivot-pin connected pivotally at one end to one end of said arm, and a pivot-sleeve surrounding the opposite end-portion of the pivot-pin and formed for direct attachment to a body-belt, substantially as set forth.

5. A truss comprising a pad, a pivot-arm located wholly within the pad and connected thereto, a pivot-pin connected pivotally at one end to one end of the arm, a pivot-sleeve surrounding the opposite end-portion of said pivot-pin and formed 'for direct attachment to a body-belt, and an adj usting-screw working through the pivot-pin and impinging against the pivot-arm below the point of pivotal connection of the pin with the arm; the axis of the said latter pivotal connection being at right angles to the axis of the pivotpin itself, substantially as set forth.

6. A truss comprising a pad, an externally plain pivot-pin pivotally connected to said pad, an internally plain pivot-sleeve surrounding said pivot-pin, and a cap-plate secured to one side of the pivot-sleeve and formed with a recess for receiving a portion of a body-belt and serving to confine such ICC belt-portion between itself and the pivotsleeve, substantially as set forth.

FRED A. WHEELER. Witnesses:

TODD MASON, W. R. OMOHUNDRO. 

